Rites of Passage Is Obligatory to the Male Population

As young as we are, we are already practicing the rites of passage and here in Lucnab we put the placenta and the umbilical cord in any container. Some would dig it into a hole and some would put it at the top of the tree. This signifies the life of the newborn child as it will also be their lucky charm as they are growing. Some of my relatives are actually putting it on the top of the tree and it is still there until now.

Tuli or Circumcision- this rites of passage is obligatory to the male population especially here in the Philippines as it symbolizes the first stage of manhood. Thus, despite the modernization where the doctors conduct the operation, I know some who conduct it traditionally (I’ve also seen it). Wherein they used tree bark, a sharp object, and munched guava leaves for disinfection. If a male person is not circumcised he will be humiliated in the Philippines. We call it as pinukpok in the barangay.

In our barangay, we still practice the traditional beliefs but as baptized Catholics, we adhere to the church rites of passage. So the very first stage is baptisms and for us, we celebrate it because we believe that it is the start of our spiritual lives. We also practice confirmations where we claim to accept God within our lives and so on.

As females reach there adolescent stage the parents teach us to wear brassiere or sleeveless shirts (sando). As it symbolizes the start of the changes in our body especially our breast. In our province, the transfer of the ethnic dance is very important as a rite of passage. As young as we are we already need to know how to dance and play the ethnic instruments for us to be acknowledged as grownups.

The province is very strict in a manner that an adolescent should already know how to do household chores. It is something that our parents are trying to uphold to us, as we are the women in the family. Some would “dalaga ka na dapat alam mo na ang mga gawaing bahay” translated from our dialect. When we are young just usually play outside but as we grow up we rightfully take the responsibility to help in the household chores.

When I started to have my first menstruation my mother actually asked me to use clothe as my napkin. She said that the first blood to come out from my body are really dirty and using a cloth would help in the faster flow of my menstruation. For us the first blood is the symbolism of our growth as a lady. To be recognized as an adolescent she should be able to make the traditional wine by herself that would be used in rituals; (idi kuna da) she should be able to go in the town or town market and be able to come home by herself then knows the meaning of traditonal dances, symbols of the thing they use in their dances or rituals.